News / Videos / Photos

LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, April 30, 2010) – Michael Dubb and the High Grade Racing Stable’s Silver Timber rallied from off a blistering pace to win the 16th running of the $119,100 Churchill Downs Turf Sprint (GIII) by a neck over Chamberlain Bridge in track-record time over the Matt Winn Turf Course on Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Silver Timber ran the five furlongs over a course rated as “firm” in :55.45. The clocking broke the course record of :55.54 established by Unbridled Sidney on July 9, 2005.

It was Leparoux’s second victory in the race having previously scored in 2006 with Man of Illusion.

Central City and Starfish Bay dueled on the lead through a first quarter in :21.25 with Silver Timber in sixth place and in the clear racing three-wide down the backstretch.

In the stretch, Central City put away Starfish Bay at midstretch only to be confronted by Silver Timber, who eased past in the final 50 yards. Chamberlain Bridge edged Central City by a nose for second.

Silver Timber returned $7.40, $4 and $3.20. Chamberlain Bridge, ridden by Jamie Theriot, paid $4.20 and $3.20 with Central City, under Robby Albarado, paying $9.20 to show. The victory was worth $69,411 and increased Silver Timber’s earnings to $540,519. A 7-year-old New York-bred son of Prime Timber out of the Alwuhush mare River Princess, Silver Timber increased his record 32-11-3-5.

CHURCHILL DOWNS TURF SPRINT QUOTES

JULIEN LEPAROUX (Jockey, Silver Timber, winner): “I got a perfect trip, a very good trip. My horse had a lot of speed already and they were very, very fast from the gate so I knew they were going fast, but I was comfortable all the way. I was very happy where I was and the horse is very nice.”

MICHAEL DUBB (Co-owner, Silver Timber, winner): “He’s the best, his trainer (Chad Brown) is the best and Julien (Leparoux) is the best. I’m just a passenger along for the ride.“We are aware of that (course record) and we’re not surprised. He won at Keeneland last time out and was only about 80 percent. He is just now fully cranked. We claimed him hoping he would be a useful New York state-bred, but he’s far exceeded expectations.“You have to give Chad a lot of credit. His horses come first. He could have been here and got all the glory, but he stayed in New York with his horses. Right now as we speak he’s setting up his Saratoga operation.”

JAMIE THERIOT (Jockey, Chamberlain Bridge, second) – “He ran his race. For the most part I had a pretty good trip. He fired. They ran fast. They ran very fast.”

ROBBY ALBARADO (Jockey, Central City, third) – “I had a good trip and got beat. They ran really fast. It felt like a track record.”